Mouthpiece for musical wind instrumernts



Mar. 5, 1929. P, ARTHUR 1,703,865

MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed July 30o 1924 PatentedMar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL ARTHUR, OF ELKHORN, WISCONSIN, yASSIGNOR, TO FRANK HOLTON & CO., OFELKHORN, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSIR'IJIIMIIEIN'TS.`

Application filed July 30, 1924. Serial N'o. 729,028.

This invention relates to mouthpieces for musical Wind instruments, suchcornets, trombones, and other instruments of a like nature, in which thevibration is produced by the lips of the musician. Y

The object ot the invention is to provide a mouthpiece which may heoperated either as a standard mouthpiece or operated to provit1 a shockabsorbing device it'or the lios oi" the musician, and it may also be umuas a no pressure device to prevent the operator from exerting unduepressure upon the lips. The various features of the mouthpiece areincorporated Within the normal tubing length of the instrument.

The invention is exempliied in the combination and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawing and described in the followingspecification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section ot an instrumentmouthpiece embodying` one :torni ot' the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 ot Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 a section on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The numeral 10 `designates the main body portion oi the mouthpiecehaving the usual flared opening 11 at one end thereot and having acylindrical tube 12 at the opposite end. Telescoping overthe tube 12 ina second tube 13 which tzipers on its outer periphery to ht the tube ofthe instrument in the usual manner. The end of the tube 13 opposite theinstrument is provided with a l'ian lfl which carries a cvliiulrituilrim l5 at its outer pcriphei The edge ot the rim 15 overlaps a shoulder1 6 on the mouthpiece bod); iff), there being a sullicient space 1T topermit the tubes 12 and 13 to move longitndinalli,v on one another. Aspring 1S is interposed between the ange lli and the body 10 to normallyforce he'iflanoje le away from the shoulder 1G. A pin 19 enters anopening 20 in the shoulder 1C to hold the parts against relativerotation. yAn outer sleeve Q1 is threaded on the mouthpiece bod)v 1()and is provided with flange 22 which limits t-he outward movement ofthetube 13. Y

It will be apparent/that the spring 18 provides a shock absorbing mediumfor cushioning the lips against sudden movement of the instrument towardthe musician. This protection is or" great importance7 especially whenthe musician is playing While riding or marching It should be noted thatthe telescoping portions which enclose the spring partially surround thebody portion ot the mouthpiece and the connecting tube therefor so thatit is included Within the usual length of the mouthpiece so that thetubular length of the instrument is not increased as would be the caseit a special spring attachment were interposed between the mouthpieceand the instrument.

The tubes 12 and 13 are provided with longitudinally alined openings 23and 24, respectively, which are offset longitudinally7 rela-tive to oneanother when the spring 18 is expanded'. A spring 25 surrounds theportion of the tube 13 having the openings therein, the spring beingprovided with openings 26 which may be brought into registration withthe openings 24. The spring may also be turned to move the openings 26out of registration, thus closing the openings 2l. The spring preferablytits the tube 13 sufficiently tight to remain in its various positionsot. adjustment due to friction between the parts. l

lt is Well known that a great majority of musici ans when playingnaturally press the 'instrument more .tightly against the lips whenplaying the higher notes. This in time tends to deaden the sensitivenesso'i the lips and interfere with the technique of the player. A fewmusicians acquire the abil itv of playing the higher notes Withoutincreasing the pressure on the lips, which method is called the nopressure method oit' playing.

` This is recognized as being the ideal Way of producing the high notesWhere the musician is able to play in this Way. The present inventionfacilitates this no pressure method for the reason that When thepressure on the lips reaches a predetermined amount the CIJ openings 23and 2li are brought into registration, thus preventing further sounduntil the pr ssure is reduced. Practice With an instrument having thisno pressure. attachment enables the musician to acquire the no pressurehabit of playing so that he not only improv-e the quality-oli the music,but learns to play with muchl less eiilort than Where the usual methodis employed, 1

Ii" it is desired to use the instrument Without the no pressureattachment it is only necessary to rotate the ring 25 until the openings24 are closed. The shock Vabsorbing feature may also be placed out et'operation if desired.

For this purpose a screuv 2T isinserted in the outer face ot' the flangelei and is provider vwith an eccentric head 28 which may be rotated intoposition to overlap the iiange 'ie/at 29, thus locking the tube l in itsextended position. When the screw head 28 is in its locking positon andthe ogen ings are closed by the ring 25, the mouthpiece operates theordinary mouthpiece and has the same general appearance and issubstantially the same'length, It u'ill thus be seen thatthe pi sentinvention embodies in one mouthpiece the ordinary i'orm and also theshock absorl ing and no pressure features.

Thilo I' have illustrated one torni of the invention, it will beunderstood that variousy changes in details may be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims,

l clain l. A mouthpiece i'or musical Windinstruents comprising aninstrument engaging i en'iber, a lip member slidably mounted. saidinstrument engaging member, spring interposed between said `lip enagingmember and Vinstrument engaging ien'iber tor protecting the lips et theuser m' "est mesure exerted on said instrupaging men/ibex', and meansfor Yocking said instrun'ient engaging member lip engaging member agaistrelative movement to render said spring ineriective hold said lipengaging member in rigid reiation with the instrument engaging niember.

between said members, and means for closing the passage to atmosphereformed by said openings when in registration with each other. f f

3. A mouthpiece for musical Wind instruopenings in said members arrangedto register with each other to form a passage to atmosphere from theinterior ofi said lip engaging member when said members are moved to oneposition relativeto each other, and means :tor closing said passage.

l. A' mouthpiece for musical Wind instruments comprising a pair ofvtubular telescoping inembe s, a lip engaging enlargement carried at oneend of one-ot said tubular members, an enlarged sleeve portion carriedat the end ot rthe other of said tubular members, a sieeve mounted onsaid lip engaging portion and teleseoping with said enlarged sleeveportifm, and a spring interposed between said members and esielosed bythe sleeve carried by said lip engaging portion.

5. A mouthpiece i'or musical Wind inst-ruinents comprising tivotelescoping tubular members, an enlarged lip engaging portion mounted atthe end oione of said-tubular members, an outwardly projecting flange attue end of the other ofsaid tubular members, sleeve mounted at the outerperiphery of said flange, a second sleeve carried by said ip engagingmember telescoping with said first named sleeve, a spring having one endearing against said lip engaging portion and the otherl end bearingagainst said fla-nge, said spring being housed Within said sleeves, andmeansfor holding said members against relative rotation with freedom oittelescoping movement. f

6. A. mouthpiece for musical Wind instruments comprisin a lip engagingportion having a tubular extension, an instrument portion arranged totelescope with said este sion, said instrument engaging portion and saidextension having' openings therethrough movable into registration withone another when a predetermined pressure lis exerted upon, said'insrinnent engaging porion and i iid lip engaging psutiou, a spring iernorma-ily hoh-iii j said openings out oi" .or closing the openinginstrun'ien engaging portion, and mea s r locking s Ed lip engagingportion aniL said instrument engaging portion against rotative movement.y y

'i'. A mouthpiece for musical Wind instruments comprising a lip portionhaving a tubular extension, and an opening through the Wall et saidextension, an instrument-engaging member slidably mounted on extensionand having an opening through the wail thereof movable into registration'with the opening in said extension,

against relative rotation, and means for looking said extension andinstrument-engaging 10 member in iXed position with the openings thereinout of registration.

In testimony7 whereof I have signed m name to this specification on this18th clay of July, A. D. 1924:.

PAUL` ARTHUR.

